End Of A Thought
by Skaasi
Summary: Lloyd VS Kratos, Son VS Father...if Lloyd wins, the two worlds are one step closer to being saved, yet someone he cares for must be sacrificed. But if he fails, everything he'd done had been for nothing. Would he face the truth or give up? Lloyd's POV


_**I wrote this sometime at the beginning of March? Not sure. But I haven't uploaded it as quickly because of school (assignments are evil…). Xx Anyway, just to remind you, it's Lloyd's POV. Hope you like.**_

"So…you've come."  
I hesitated to get the words out of my mouth. "…is there no other way?"  
Kratos grunted stubbornly. "Are you still thinking like that? You'll die if you fight me with any doubt left in your heart. If you want the pact with Origin, then you must defeat me."  
For some reason, I didn't really seem surprised. "So…that's your way." I turned my head around to face the others.  
"Everyone…leave this to me."  
Yeah…that's what my mouth said. I didn't know if that was actually the right thing for me to have said after hearing the collective gasps behind me as I turned my head back around to face Kratos. I could've sworn I'd also heard Zelos mutter, "Holy sh—" purposely leaving the sentence unfinished. Then again…I wanted to settle this now, on my own…for myself…and Kratos.

Kratos…it felt hard to take in at the night in Altessa's house, but yes, he is my biological father. I still can't help but doubt whether I should easily accept that truth. He was a so-called mercenary, a magic swordsman, a cold-hearted soul, a half-angel, a traitor, an enemy…but despite that, he helped us along the way…because he was still our loyal friend. And now he is…my father. The one I had hoped would be alive for all these years without an in-depth knowledge of my parents…without any remembrance of the time I spent with them…without living with them for the rest of the life they gave me…without knowing how much they'd really loved and cared for me…  
All that knowledge stood right in front of me…yet it was going to be lost forever if I didn't find another way. This battle…no matter the outcome, death was certain to occur…either by me or Kratos. But if won, we'd be a step closer to saving the two worlds…although a life had to be lost in return. By walking the path to salvation, I had to stray from the one that led to the world of my past.  
But I knew something could be done to stop that…so instead, the paths could unite and become one…and I could walk both paths. The only thing I had to do now was find the solution to that…there had to be a way…  
I shook my head briskly to ignore the thoughts for the time being and focus at the task at hand, which was accepting the challenge itself.

He looked somewhat taken aback after what I had said to him before. "You're going to fight alone?" He asked.  
Before I managed to find the right words to say to him as my reply, Colette stepped forward next to me, and placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"That's right," she told him. "Lloyd won't lose. Lloyd bears the weight of all the lives that you and Cruxis sacrificed. He's not running away. He's strong. Even though he's suffered, he's still got the willpower to fight for the world of his ideals. He's not giving up and depending on someone else…like you are."  
My eyes blurred as the tears started to gather in them. _Colette…  
_She continued, her eyes also starting to stream with tears. "Lloyd will win…because he's standing on his own…" She lowered her head. She told Kratos quietly, "Please understand…Kratos…"

I felt Colette's grip on my shoulder tighten. I hate to admit, it hurt a bit, but it was Colette's pain as well. I had to remember that…  
I put my arm around her shoulders, wiping her tears with the tips of my fingers. "Colette…" I whispered with guilt. It was my fault she was crying…it was my fault I got her involved…I didn't want to see her cry…I didn't…  
"I'm sorry, Colette…"  
Colette turned her head to face me. "No…I'm sorry…"  
A slight grin crossed my face. "What have I told you about apologizing?"  
She smiled weakly. Then I whispered something in her ear, for no one else to hear.  
"I'll do it…I promise you."  
Colette let out a stronger smile. I'm guessing she remembered…  
All the promises I made to her, I've always kept…well, according to her, at least. I'm glad that I was able to make her smile again. But could I really keep this promise?

"_You'll die if you fight me with any doubt left in your heart."_

So in other words…it must be done. Otherwise I'd fail…

I held the hilts of my twin blades firmly. And then the words finally reached my mouth.  
"…If it's your wish to settle things with your past…then it's my duty as your son to see it through…"  
And then I drew them out. "Get ready!"

I saw Kratos draw his Flamberge out, as well as strapping on his Arredoval shield. I don't know for sure where he got the fire sword from, but the Arredoval was Cruxis technology…according to him when he joined out party back at Iselia Human Ranch. It made me sick to hear him say that with such a carefree tone in his voice.  
That's my father for you, I guess…

Kratos raised his arms, gripping his shield-wielding wrist with his sword-wielding hand. "I'm not gonna hold back this time," he told me firmly.  
"I know," I pointed a sword at him. "I won't either."

So much for that, though. I charged straight for him unaware of him using Double Demon Fang on me. I took in the hit and staggered a bit. But I wasn't down. He tried using Double Demon Fang again, but I jumped over the attack and got him from behind with a few hits and used Tiger Blade. He fell down on one knee, but in an instant, he was back on his feet. And then…  
"Air Thrust!" The same blades of air Genis had once used on our opponents were now cutting into my clothes and skin. I heard Colette yell out my name as I fell to the ground. My whole body was stinging, but somehow I managed to get up quicker than I expected to.

The moment my head was raised to catch sight of him, Kratos had disappeared. I turned around to all sides furiously to find him. Suddenly a voice yelled from above me, "Hell Pyre!"

As he swung his sword in midair, flames erupted from the tip, and a blazing stone of fire shot down towards me. I barely dodged the attack, but I was brought down to one knee. My head was bowed and I started taking in a few short breaths to recover and stand back up again. I steadied myself for his next move.  
"Heh…don't burn yourself, there," I told him with a grin. He smirked back. Man…talk about lenient…I'd really thought he'd talk back…

I saw Kratos cast another spell. "Thunder Blade!"  
Again, I managed to evade the giant transparent blue sword that struck the ground from above. This gave me the perfect opportunity. I did Heavy Tiger Blade on Kratos to knock him onto his back. I felt sensations from the Thunder Blade's sparks behind me, but it didn't cause me to stumble. As Kratos got up, he immediately struck his sword at me and yelled, "Super Lightning Blade!" I felt myself being thrown into the air, and then a large bolt of electricity striking my body. I fell to the ground on my side. My head throbbed like anything. It felt drenched in something so I guessed it was my own blood.

"LLOYD!"

Colette was about to run towards me, but Raine held her back. "Raine!"  
"Colette, I'm sorry, but we have to let things happen as they should…"  
"No, Raine! Lloyd! Get up!"  
_Ugh…Colette… _I strained to rise from where I had fell, but no luck. I felt so numb from pain, I couldn't…  
I probably looked so pathetic right now.

I felt Kratos walking towards me. I swear I could even hear him breathing down on me. The silence was just too strong. "I thought you weren't going to hold back, Lloyd," he told me. "It seems to me you're asking for death's door to welcome you in…"  
_Death… _I wasn't gonna die, was I? Would he really kill me if he could? Like now? But…my promise to Colette…everything I've worked for…

"…_Lloyd."  
"Hmm? What is it?"  
_"…_Don't die."  
_"_Wha? Yeah…okay. What's up all of a sudden?"  
"…Don't worry about it."  
_"…_how can he tell me not to worry after saying something like that…?"_

"**_I thought you weren't going to hold back, Lloyd."_**

The voice in my head…somehow it seemed to raise me up from the ground with ease. I winced at the pain from my head, but I had to ignore it. I replied to his earlier statement. "No, Kratos…I will not walk into death's door so easily…you told me not to yourself…"

Kratos looked like he was smiling. I couldn't really tell, because my sight was slightly blurred from the headache. But hey…I shouldn't be worrying about that now, huh? I had to keep going…everyone was counting on me…and Colette as well…  
I straightened myself up. This was it…I'd do it.

Kratos made the first move. "Lightning Blade!" It didn't work as easily as before. I'd seen it coming and dodged it with ease. I ran towards him and yelled, "Demonic Circle!" and unleashed a mighty shockwave from my swords as I slammed them down. Kratos was knocked back and he slid on one knee along the ground. I saw him attempting to get up, but I had the better hand.

I jumped up into the air, doing a three-sixty. "I won't lose to you! Rising Falcon!" I charged my swords directly at the figure below me, shockwaves erupting from the blades. And less than a second…I felt something being pierced by the blade.

I had managed to brush the attack over Kratos' right shoulder. I landed behind him, on one knee with my arms outstretched behind me. As I had struck him, I'd seen a faint dash of blood from my swords. I'd got him…but how badly?

I realized when I heard a thud from behind me that it sounded pretty critical. I turned around and saw the half-angel on the ground, face down. He'd let go of his sword, and it had been flung away from him to one side. I breathed heavily. "It's…it's over…" I stuttered quietly to myself. I saw Colette run towards me and then I felt her arms fling around me for a hug. "You did it, Lloyd," she whispered joyfully. "You kept your promise…"  
I heard what she said, but I'd seemed to ignore it for the time being. My eyes were fixed on the purple figure sprawled on the ground before me, a pool of blood oozing from his right side. "C-Colette, I need to speak to Kratos," I told her.  
I felt her arms loosen around me and she let go, nodding. I walked silently over to the half-angel. I saw his left arm move, and push itself against the ground, as if he was trying to raise himself from the ground. I knelt to his side and carefully lifted him up to eye contact.

"…you've…grown strong…" he choked quietly.  
"Thanks to you…"  
He looked into my face, wide-eyed. "Aren't you…going to finish me?"  
I gave him a stern look. "I've defeated Kratos, the angel, the one who defeated us," I softened my expression, smiling. "And I forgive Kratos, the hero of the Ancient War, who helped us. That's all."  
He looked away from me. "Hmph…and I thought I'd finally earned the right to die. But you're as soft-hearted as ever."  
"Right to die?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow, but quite seriously. "What did you do to earn that right!"  
"I made mistakes…" he told me, looking away from me. "…mistakes I couldn't correct. I ignored what you said…about fixing these faults. I didn't believe in a wide range of possibilities. I just focused on the single one that I felt would most likely happen. They ended up being the wrong choices…but this time…I'm not making that mistake again…"

He released himself from my hold and he stood up, holding his injured shoulder. He approached the seal of Origin. I gasped.  
"H-hold on, you can't be…are you going to break the seal?" I yelled at him. "You know what'll happen. We can find another way!"  
"But this is what you desire…is it not?"  
"I know, but—"  
A bright blue glow appeared on his back, and then I saw his wings emerge from his back. Immediately after that, I saw numerous white balls of light emit from his body. I heard everyone behind me gasp. Colette did the same.

I was frozen on the spot. He was releasing the seal. He was going to die…but he couldn't! I don't want more people to die!  
"K-Kratos!" I shouted. But no response. I saw his, as if in slow motion, falling towards the ground.

Then, a figure sped towards his side and caught him. "Yuan!" I heard Sheena from behind me.

Another glow gave out from Kratos, but from Yuan as well. I ran over towards them. The glow faded seconds after. Yuan looked slightly worn out.  
"Don't worry," he told me. "He's alive. I gave him some of my mana."  
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Da—" I swallowed. "…Kratos. Are you really OK?"  
Kratos looked towards me. "Looks like I've failed to die once more."  
What he'd said made me flare up inside. "You stupid jerk!" I yelled at him. He blinked, as if surprised by what I'd said. "You can die at any time! But when you die, that's the end!"  
Yuan gave me a worried look. "You want him to live in eternal damnation?" he asked, looking at me, then back at Kratos.  
"Who said anything like that?" I answered him, angrily. "What will you accomplish by dying? Nothing! There's no meaning in dying!" I looked at Kratos. "Kratos! You have to live…for us…and for me, as well…"  
I saw his eyes narrow, and beginning to water. "But…Anna…"  
"You wanted to see her again, didn't you?" I asked him. He looked at me directly, as if trying to say he did. But I understood from his expression alone. "She'll always be with us, Kratos…in our hearts. You don't have to worry about never seeing her again, because reality is that she's eternally with you…and seeing you."  
"You're…right," he said, gently. He looked away from me, again. "To think that I had to have my son…teach me such an obvious lesson…"  
I looked at him again, tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry…about your wound."  
"It's fine…I can handle it…"  
"Dad…" I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "…thank you."  
Kratos smiled, and closed his eyes.  
"…D-dad!" I exclaimed.

Yuan looked up at me, still holding Kratos. "He should be fine. Go make the pact with Origin, now."  
"OK…" I got up, and looked towards the seal. _I'll do this for you…father…  
_"Sheena, let's go…" I said, confidently.  
"You got it," she answered back.

The pain in the back of my head was completely gone. I turned it around to get one last look at my father. _To think…that the end of a thought in my head could give me so much strength…Dad…I thank you for that._

_END_


End file.
